Kauri Point Armament Depot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Defence Armament Depot |
|
|---|---|
| Chatswood, New Zealand | |
 Defence Armament Depot
Location in Auckland
|
|
| Coordinates | 36°49′15″S 174°42′07″E / 36.82083°S 174.70194°E |
| Site information | |
| Operator | Defence Logistics Command |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1937-current |
The Defence Armament Depot, known as the Kauri Point Armament Depot until 2010, is a special place where the New Zealand Defence Force stores its weapons and ammunition. It's located in Chatswood, a suburb of Auckland, and was originally built for the Royal New Zealand Navy. The Depot has easy access to Waitematā Harbour, which is a big advantage for moving supplies. It was first set up in 1935 and grew a lot during World War II. In 2011, plans were made to make the facility even more modern and secure.
History
How It Started
The Kauri Point Armament Depot was built in the 1930s. It was created to replace older storage areas in Narrow Neck. Work on the new site began on October 7, 1935. By August 1937, weapons and ammunition started to be moved there from Narrow Neck.
World War II and After
The Armament Depot became much bigger during the early years of World War II. In 1942, part of the site was used by the United States Navy. The US Navy added sixteen more buildings to the depot. They left in 1944. At that time, the depot had 58 permanent and temporary buildings. During World War II, it was mainly used to store ammunition. It didn't usually do maintenance work on weapons. After the war, a lot of ammunition was kept at Kauri Point. In the 1950s and 1960s, the site was used to get ammunition ready to be safely dumped into the Hauraki Gulf.
In the 1950s, the Kauri Point Armament Depot started doing more than just storage. It began to repair guns from Royal New Zealand Navy warships. It also worked on torpedo maintenance and did scientific tests on explosives. In the 1960s, new buildings were constructed. These were for storing guided missiles and anti-submarine torpedoes. Some older, unused buildings started to be taken down in the 1970s.
Modern Times
By 2008, the Kauri Point Armament Depot was the main port for receiving large shipments of ammunition for the New Zealand Defence Force. A report from that year said that most of the ammunition storage buildings were in poor condition. For example, leaks in one building's roof caused $121,000 worth of ammunition to be damaged by water. At this time, about $NZ155 million worth of ammunition was stored at Kauri Point. Almost all of its 120 explosives storehouses were built before or during World War II. A long-term plan was put in place to replace these old buildings with new, modern ones.
On July 1, 2010, the Kauri Point Armament Depot became part of the Defence Logistics Command. Its name was then changed to the Defence Armament Depot.
In July 2011, someone entered the Defence Armament Depot during a weekend. They took some ammunition and flares. The site had security guards 24 hours a day. However, the theft was not noticed until the next Monday. The stolen ammunition was later found. In August 2011, the New Zealand Government announced it would spend $NZ 7 million. This money was for building modern ammunition bunkers at Kauri Point and improving the site's security.
